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Taylor Swift’s new album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ has already achieved monumental success, selling over 3.5 million copies in its first week, including more than a million on vinyl alone. Our esteemed critic, Jon Caramanica, praised it as “a catchy and substantive but unflashy album” that masterfully blends the intimate songwriting of her ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ eras with renewed clarity and power.
However, ‘Showgirl,’ Swift’s ninth full-length release since 2020 (including her re-recorded works), is also facing a more lukewarm reception. Professional reviews are noticeably mixed, and social media discussions frequently lean towards exhaustion or outright dismissal.
After giving the album more time to fully sink in since its initial release, Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli of Popcast revisit ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’ They’re joined by an expanded panel of New York Times music specialists, including Jon Pareles, Caryn Ganz, and Lindsay Zoladz.
This insightful roundtable discussion explores the central themes and emerging controversies surrounding ‘Showgirl.’ The experts also tackle a range of listener questions, covering topics from Taylor Swift’s dynamic with Charli XCX to the album’s critical reception, its more ‘cringey’ lyrics (and their toned-down versions), and what the future might hold for Swift’s artistic direction.
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